Here we go, the second day of sales. Theme seems to be about future tech and survival games. Got a few opinions on these, so let’s get to it. But before that, my thoughts on the mini-game. It’s ok. It’s a clicker game that gives us more discounts to choose from. It’s kind of hard to find any fault with it when a lot of it can be passively played. So, enjoy it or not, you’ll still benefit from it.

As a general reminder, you should wait until the game is on a daily feature sale, flash sale or on the monster community choice. That’s when they’ll be the cheapest. All of which can be seen on the front page of Steam. You should also keep an eye on HumbleBundle.com, Amazon.com and GreenManGaming.com as they will sometimes do even better sales than Steam for the same copy. I will try and make you aware of any significant ones I see. Also, you can see the previous days of sales I have covered at this link.

Games You Should Buy Today

C&C Styled RTS Sci-Fi Game for Windows only

I have not played enough of Grey Goo though I have picked it back up recently. I honestly thought the developers would just publish it, add some map packs and call it a day. Instead, Grey Goo has been receiving regular balance updates, DLC and content since it launched in January. Sure, that’s only five months ago but it’s impressive as they don’t seem to be showing any sign of slowing down. They recently launched a map pack & new “Emergence” campaign that was free for current owners but is now on sale for $6. I can’t really comment on the balance of the game as they’ve done a ton of changes to it since it launched and I haven’t played enough of it recently. But they have been striving to make the best balance they could.

Grey Goo is a very C&C-like RTS with emphasis on macro over micro-intensive gameplay. It’s not as fast compared to games like Starcraft II. Which makes it much more accessible since you won’t need master multitasking skills to be good at it. There are three races, the Goo, Humans and Beta with their own unique styles of gameplay. Goo are the more zerg-like and have living structures for bases. They have the ability to go over mountains and have units that can “consume” your army if you aren’t careful. Humans are more defensively oriented, with only a single base to operate from but make up for it with more powerful individual units. Beta on the other hand are more well rounded, able to deploy structures and walls anywhere they have vision. All in all, Grey Goo is definitely a game to get if you’re looking for a new RTS.Optimization is a bit iffy at times, but it has great visuals, even better cutscenes and a story I’ve been finding interesting so far. Both DLC are worth picking up and the $20 price tag is very good.

So, who still doesn’t have Portal 2? Or Portal 1 for that matter? Oh, you? Ok. Well, Portal 2 is fairly straightforward. It’s a first person puzzle game with portals, gels, lasers, cubes and much more. The campaign is a good amount of fun with but I feel the co-op campaign and Workshop is the best part of this game. That’s where the majority of the 75 hours I sank into this game went. The Steam Workshop has over 400,000+ puzzles, maps and campaigns to explore. The Co-Op in this game is fantastic as well, trying to figure out complex puzzles with a friend was a blast and was a long running series on my YouTube channel. Portal 2 gets a hearty recommendation though I can’t imagine anyone hasn’t played this game already.

(Minor spoiler, but the above Steam review is slated to be updated very soon. Just didn’t get it done in time for the Steam sale).

Survival 2D Game for All Platforms

I’ve put seven hours into This War of Mine and I’m not done yet. Definite recommendation to pick it and the DLC up today if you don’t already have it. I had been lukewarm towards the developer and their Anomaly series but This War of Mine won me over. At $8, you get a gritty and, at times, heart-wrenching game about surviving as a civilian in a civil-war-torn country. it also helps that this game was inspired by real-life events. But you must survive in a shelter with other randomly generated characters until the war is over. Each character has their own quirks, strengths and weaknesses. Crafting weapons, alcohol, food and other resources are choices you have to make on a daily basis. Your actions will impact the narrative and may decide your fate. It can feel a bit clunky at times but that feels intentional. Get it if you don’t already have it.

Here’s the general rule of thumb with The Witcher franchise: The story and characters are pretty darn good but the combat has always been clunky with balance issues abound. The first Witcher is aging very badly with a spammy combat system and clunky mechanics. I’m not sure it’s worth it even for the $1.49 price tag. The game is simply ok at best and a slog at worst. The Witcher 2, well, you can read the very extensive review of it for my full thoughts. But the tl;dr: If you’re up for a fantasy story with a solid adventure, political intrigue and interesting conversations, The Witcher 2 is certainly good for it. However, it comes with some major problems that are hard to ignore. Character’s are often two dimensional. The combat system is overly difficult and punishing even on Normal mode. Not to mention, the difficulty curve can swing wildly from fight-to-fight, especially if you install the combat overhaul mod. I’m finding it harder and harder to recommend story-based games with poor combat systems. I think it’s long overdue that devs pay equal attention to both the story & combat so that each are enjoyable to experience. I give this a very hesitant recommendation. For $2.99, I think it’s worthwhile to get it. Just keep my review and caveats in mind.

As for The Witcher 3: I’m hearing great things about it. Lots of great and worthwhile content to play through and a game crafted not to waste the player’s time. Though there have been some murmurs that the combat still isn’t that great. I’m not sure how three games later you still can’t get a good combat system running. It’ll be interesting to see what my thoughts are when I get around to that game. As for the sale, well, I think expecting a better discount for a less-than-a-month old game is too much. 10% is going to be the best you’ll get until the Winter sale. So, either take it or wait. You’re not going to get any better than that.

I don’t know how the Adventure Game plays out. Sorry, never got around to taking it on and board games ported over to PC tend to be better with people that can play them.

I’m planning on reviewing The Witcher 1 soon. The Witcher 3 is scheduled for later this year, sometime around late Fall or Winter.

Games I’m Unsure Of

Post-Apocalyptic Turn-Based Strategy RPG for All Platforms.

One of the few but growing Kickstarter success stories. Wasteland 2 is a sequel to a game that is 25 years old. From everything I’ve heard, it’s worthwhile to get if you like this style of old-school RPG. It has it’s minor quirks and trouble spots, but the game as a whole is a return to form for this genre. At $20, the amount of content you’ll get is pretty darn impressive. Just keep in mind that this wears its old school roots proudly. Definitely recommend checking out full reviews on this title before you pick it up.

Old Early Access 2D Sandbox Title for All Platforms

Starbound has been in early access for nearly two years. Made by the developers of Risk of Rain, it’s one of the many 2D sandbox games that were unleashed onto Steam after Terraria became popular. I have generally stayed away from this genre until they leave Early Access. Far too many developers have failed to finish what they started. It doesn’t help when you see a game like Starbound still in development with no end in sight. But I haven’t heard anything awful about it so it’s probably a decent time as-is.

Sports Multiplayer Simulation Game for Windows Only.

I have no opinion on NBA2K15. You are looking at the wrong person for one. Basketball isn’t a favorite sport of mine and I haven’t played NBA2K since…I want to say 2007 on Gamecube. It’s certainly a very popular game but I couldn’t tell you why. I don’t really know any other reviewer that has done a piece on this game either. But the $15 price tag isn’t too bad if it’s as good as has been mentioned in the Steam reviews.

3rd Person Stealth Action Title for Windows and Mac

This is a franchise I’ve been meaning to tackle for some time now but haven’t gotten around to it. I only recently picked up Hitman Absolution. It’s got a lot of opinions from a lot of different people with mixed reactions to each game. But getting the entire hitman collection for $8 is most likely worth it if you are interested in this genre of gameplay.

The Entire Freaking Lego Franchise On Sale

I am not giving an opinion on this series. Nope, sorry, I haven’t played a single Lego title except for one or two of them on consoles years ago. What’s nice to see is that Lego has avoided using DRM, as far as I’m aware. So, kudos to them. It’s a pity that they don’t have a buy-all franchise pack because I would almost want to buy that. Almost. Sales are kind of all over the place so you’ll have to make a judgement call on what’s good enough.

Open World Medieval RPG/Sandbox

This game has been on sale so many times. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Mount and Blade but I just haven’t decided to commit to it right now. Which, I should add that this game is worth it for the modding community, which has done a lot to expand the longevity way beyond what I’m sure the publisher expected. It’s hack-and-slash melee on horses is a pretty unique experience. $4 isn’t asking a lot either. Unsure if the DLC is worth picking up.

Team-based asymmetrical multiplayer for windows

Biggest problems I heard about Depth were the lack of maps and sharks. Oh and that people wanted to play nothing but sharks. But, both of these problems have been getting worked on since it’s release. It’s a pretty cool idea to have multiplayer game based on sharks vs divers and this one has a lot of promise. Will I ever get it? Ehh, probably not. Not unless I get a group to do it together. Running this with a bunch of strangers doesn’t appeal to me too much. DLC seems to be cosmetic stuff so probably not worth picking up. Seems that the community is still intact so you’re probably safe picking it up and having some fun.

Political Spreadsheet Simulator for All Platforms

Democracy 3, made by the same guy who made Gratuitous Space Battles 1 & 2. He’s an interesting character with some…unique games. I didn’t have any interest in this game and will probably never get around to it. I don’t tend to like spreadsheet-like games. I think there are better games you can pick up today. It seems like a common complaint about it is that assassinations are way too powerful and common. DLC looks pretty good though but I did find it eye-raising that none of it is on sale.

First Person Shooters for Windows Only

I do find the $60 price tag for a year+ old game to be odd. Even if it’s 75% off. But I guess that’s Bethesda for you. The rebooted FPS series has been getting a lot of positive press and it’s one I plan on tackling at some point. I’m just not sure when.

Games To Avoid

Early Access First Person Survival/Horror game for Windows

Yet another first person survival game, though it differentiates itself from the rest of the pack with its horror elements. Build, explore, survive. No doubt inspired by the DayZ craze. I don’t have any opinions on this game. It’s early access so I’ve been staying away from it. I don’t think the sale is worth getting The Forest while it’s incomplete. It’s especially telling that they have given no release date and it’s been in early access for over a year now. Which, fine, I get that you’re uncertain. But that tells me to tell you to give it a pass for now.

RPG Turn-based combat for Windows

Child of Light looks like an indie title right? Well, it isn’t. It was published through Ubisoft. It’s gotten a lot of positive reception from those that have played it. I haven’t because it has the Ubisoft Uplay DRM. The DLC doesn’t look worthwhile from the glance I took. That’s pretty much all I’ve got for Child of Light. If I ever drop my personal blacklist on Uplay DRM, I would probably pick up Child of Light first. For now, it sits there.

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any feedback for this series.

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About A Paladin & Schedule

Welcome to my Gaming Review website. I've been creating content on a regular basis for over six years now but there's been a change. I'm currently on hiatus while I'm employed at a different job because I can't do that job and do this blog. There's no way I can do both and remain unbiased. I do not have a return ETA at this time but I thank everyone for their support over the years. It means a lot.